I was really excited to come across NEET Magazine last week. The online magazine, edited by Stephanie J, showcases ‘grassroots fashion and creativity’. Everything in the magazine (with a few very minor exceptions) has been created by young designers from all over the world. This includes the photography and artwork. NEET has a very similar ethos to Indie Quarter - it’s all about ’supporting DIY craftsmanship and originality’.

NEET is chock full of indie designer jewellery, accessories, clothes, bags, shoes, home wares, photographs, illustrations and much much more. It is presented as an online glossy but has the added bonus of being able to click straight through to a designer’s website if you see something you like.

To browse through NEET, go to www.neetmagazine.com.

Back in 2003 Francesca Salvini and Emma Smalley hung up their dancing shoes to bring us Temporary Measure. Their gorgeous range of accessories, bags, canvases, cushions and cards have been delighting us ever since.

Their ’garden shed chic’ designs combine a mixture of photography, embroidery and original text. They have a generous range of handbags for all occasions, in different shapes, sizes and colours, with quirky button and decorative embellishments.

Their cards and canvases include childhood and travel photographs and have been cleverly combined with witty text and anecdotes. They will even put your own photograph onto a canvas and write some accompanying text for you.

Emma and Francesca work out of their bright and airy shop in the Craft and Design Centre, Manchester, where you’re sure to find a warm welcome. They can also be found selling their wares at the Manchester Fashion Market, every Saturday. And for those of you who don’t live in Manchester or like to shop in your pyjamas, you can visit their website at www.temporarymeasure.co.uk.

Boutique to You was established in 2004 by art&sole designer, Sharon Williams. It is a UK based online shop, selling accessories, clothing, bags, jewellery, gifts and items for the home. Among their goodies is a large selection of items made by independent designers. Names include art@sole, Babu, Aurora Bloom, Sandy McCormack and many more.

Boutique to You pride themselves on good service, from their excellent selection of products and their easy to navigate site, right up to delivery. They even offer free postage and packaging in the UK for orders over £15!

They will soon be introducing an online party facility. And if you’re quick, you might be able to pick up a bargain at their January Sale!

You can ’bring the boutique to you’ by visiting www.boutiquetoyou.co.uk.

Ex-boyfriend is a US company based in Baltimore, Maryland. Their products include t-shirts, jewellery, buttons (badges), wallets and hand-made cards. All of their items have a quirky, pop art vibe.

The screen printed ’pick up line’ t-shirts come in a range of sizes and are printed on American Apparel shirts (a sweat-shop free company). They all sport cheeky messages and icons (see below).

If you’re looking for something unusual, why not check out their racy duct tape wallets? We love the cute Pin-up Girl Marble bracelet (above) and the Rita Hayworth button (below).

The Ex-Boyfriend range is available to buy online from www.ex-boyfriendcollection.com.

During a trip to the January sales, I called in at one of my favourite shops (Waterstones on Deansgate) and discovered a fantastic book. ‘Fruits’ by Shoichi Aoki is a collection of over 250 photographs of Tokyo based teenagers. Aoki is the publisher of Japan’s leading street magazine of the same name, which began in 1997. The book illustrates the best of ‘Fruits’ and also includes translations of the original captions which include the names, ages, clothing and influences of each teenager.

In his Foreword, Aoshi explains about the recent changes in Japanese fashion and how this has been influenced by, amongst others, a group of teenagers from the Harajuku district of Tokyo. He talks about how this group of teenagers view fashion as ‘a direct means of expressing themselves’ and how they have ‘transformed their everyday attire into a fashion statement or personalized artwork.’

The designs are a curious mixture of designer labels such as Vivienne Westwood, elaborate home made outfits and distinctive accessories, which include toys and charm laden jewellery.

As well as being a huge source of inspiration for all designers, the book gives a great insight into the Japanese street scene. Aoki writes, ‘It doesn’t matter what kind of clothes individual designers make. What is important are one’s thoughts and the ability to express them, one’s life and its relationship to the environment. When such elements are combined they create a sculpture. This sculpture I call street fashion.’

‘Fruits’ and the second book, ‘Fresh Fruits’ can be purchased from www.phaidon.com

Shoichi Aoki’s ‘Fruits’ (2001) is published by Phaidon. ISBN Number 0 7148 4083 1. Price £19.95.

Carol meng-yi Yeh is a London based jewellery designer. Her jewellery is hand crafted from gold, silver, pearls and semi precious stones. Jade features quite prominently in her work. Strong oriental influences are visible through her choice of finishes and the materials. This theme is likely to be extremely popular this season, following the release of ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ later this week.

Examples of Carol meng-yi Yeh’s work include the Oyster Collection, which features stunning pearls nestling in silver oyster shells (see below). Each piece is individually crafted and therefore unique.

Carol meng-yi Yeh graduated from Central St. Martins College and London Metropolitan University. Her work has been shown in a number of exhibitions and craft shows.

To view the Carol meng-yi Yeh collections and for further information, please visit www.meng-yi.co.uk.